Monday, February 6, 2012

Painting for Fun

It has been stated that performing some kind of creative activity is beneficial for those on the autism spectrum. This is clear after stopping by to watch a “Painting for Fun” class offered by OUCARES.

Instructor Dawn Dandurand used the color wheel to teach one of the participants in this program how to mix colors together. The outcome of this lesson was a painted design using different shades of red. This was accomplished by first sketching a “pinwheel” design, selecting what colors to mix with red, and to complete the painting.

During the lesson, Dawn used gentle instruction, giving the teenage girl with autism options between different colors and drawings. She allowed the participant to set the pace of the activities but always made sure that the participant stayed on task. These slow invasions of the teenage girl’s autistic mind are vital, in my opinion, as an individual with autism, to grow beyond the autistic mind and recognizing the necessity of external communication.

Dawn is a public school art teacher who wanted to better understand the students with autism who sometimes attended her classes. She started volunteering for OUCARES last year, and based on the quiet passion she brings into the program, is really making a difference. The impact the lesson has on the participants with autism is not always visible, but the fact that they are complying with requests, and contributing themselves to the task in their own unique way, I would say that the program has completed its objective.

This program is offered Tuesday evenings from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. For more information about this program and others offered, visit the OUCARES website

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About Me

An eloquent writer, Ryan is passionate about raising autism awareness. He is working on a book talking about what he thinks autism means.
In his spare time, he plays the clarinet in the Waterford New Horizons Band, attends Oakland University for marketing, and is working to complete the first novel in his fantasy series.